1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vehicle structure for an inverter configured to supply electric power to a drive motor, and a bracket unit configured to fix an inverter to a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
An automobile including an electrically-driven vehicle is generally configured such that a potential of its body is often set to an electric ground potential of an in-vehicle electric apparatus. The in-vehicle electric apparatus is electrically connected to the body, and is maintained equipotential (a ground potential) with the body. Since a case of the electric apparatus is made of a conductive metal in general, if the electric apparatus is fixed to the body or a frame of the vehicle, the electric apparatus is automatically maintained equipotential with the body. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-240396 A describes that it is preferable that a case of an electric apparatus be electrically connected to a body via a wire in addition to conduction by the contact of the case with the body. Note that an “electric apparatus” in the present specification encompasses an engine unit including a sensor operating by electricity, a transmission, a drive motor (and its case), and a battery. Further, in the present specification, in a case where an electric apparatus has been provided in a vehicle such that its case is electrically connected to a body of the vehicle, and another electric apparatus is fixed to the electric apparatus, the another electric apparatus should be electrically connected to the case of the electric apparatus that has been already provided in the vehicle. Hence, the electric apparatus that has been already provided in the vehicle is considered as a part of the body electrically.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-122871 (JP 2004-122871 A) describes that it is preferable to connect a battery or an engine to a body of a vehicle by use of a braided wire rather than a thin wire. In the following description, a “body of a vehicle” is just referred to as the “body.”